10 Things You Didn’t Know about The Kemmer Stock Mountain Cur
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There are some dog breeds that came into existence centuries and centuries ago. In contrast, others have much more recent origins. One excellent example of the latter would be the Kemmer Stock Mountain Cur, which was created by a man named Robert Kemmer for use as hunting dogs. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about the Kemmer Stock Mountain Cur:
1. Cur Isn’t the Most Flattering Term
Some people might be surprised by the name of the Kemmer Stock Mountain Cur. After all, cur isn’t exactly the most flattering term that can be found out there, seeing as how it tends to mean a mongrel, particularly either an unfriendly or even an aggressive mongrel. In fact, the term is believed to have come from the Old Norse kurra, which means either “to growl” or “to grumble.”
2. Not Related to Curs
It is interesting to note that there was once a dog breed called curs. However, there isn’t much reason to believe that Kemmer Stock Mountain Curs are related to these curs, which were used for driving cattle. It isn’t quite clear why curs went extinct in the mid 19th century. For that matter, it isn’t clear whether curs are related to any of the dog breeds that can be found in the present time. There is speculation that the Halls Heeler was created using curs rather than collies, but for now, there is speculation and nothing but speculation.
3. Different Kind of Cur
Instead, Kemmer Stock Mountain Curs are curs in the U.S. sense. Simply put, cur is sometimes used to refer to short-haired dogs used for herding and hunting that were developed in the American South. In this context, the term is thought to be short for cur-tailed, which means a dog with a natural bobtail. This is the preference for Kemmer Stock Mountain Curs. However, there are members of the dog breed with bobbed tails as well as full-length tails.
4. Some Curs Have Official Recognition
Some curs have official recognition from the kennel clubs of note. For instance, Kemmer Stock Mountain Curs were bred from Mountain Curs, which are one of these dog breeds. Supposedly, they were brought by European settlers who wanted guard dogs as well as hunting dogs while out on the frontier. Mountain Curs went very close to extinction in the mid 20th century because of urbanization. However, four individuals from three states managed to save the dog breed while also establishing a breed standard for Mountain Curs as a whole.
5. Bred By a Man Named Robert Kemmer
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Kemmer Stock Mountain Cur was created by a man named Robert Kemmer. He grew up in rural Tennessee where he became very familiar with the breeding of Mountain Curs because of his father. Later in the 1970s and subsequent decades, Kemmer went on to breed what he considered to be the most suitable Mountain Curs together, thus resulting in Kemmer Stock Mountain Curs.
6. Meant For Hunting Wild Hogs
To be exact, Kemmer Stock Mountain Curs were meant for hunting wild hogs. For those who are unfamiliar, hogs are not native to the Americas. Instead, they were brought over in the Columbian Exchange. Unfortunately, hogs have proven themselves to be a very destructive species. In part, this is because of their extreme opportunism when it comes to food, meaning that they have been known to eat everything from entire fields to the food set out for livestock as well as the livestock.
However, it should also be mentioned that hogs are aggressive animals. Combined with the fact that wild hogs have become very common in the United States, there is no shortage of opportunities for hunting them. Naturally, the dogs used for this purpose tend to be tough and courageous animals, with Kemmer Stock Mountain Curs being no exception to this rule.
7. Some People Use Them For Hunting Other Animals
Of course, some people use Kemmer Stock Mountain Curs for hunting other animals. This is particularly unsurprising because these dogs were bred from Mountain Curs, which were used to tree squirrels as well as raccoons. Essentially, this means forcing a tree-climbing animal to climb up a tree, thus providing the hunter with a much better idea of its condition before proceeding to a decision about its final fate. If people have ever wondered about the origins of “barking up the wrong tree,” this is the practice that said idiom is referring to.
8. There Can Be Variation From Dog to Dog
There are standards for breeding Kemmer Stock Mountain Curs. However, they aren’t recognized by the best-known kennel clubs out there, meaning that these standards are looser than what interested individuals might expect. For that matter, it should be remembered that there is a lot of emphasis placed upon the performance of Kemmer Stock Mountain Curs, which is another factor that matters when it comes to their breeding. Regardless, the result in that individual Kemmer Stock Mountain Curs can see some variation from one another rather than being always the same in every respect. Something that interested individuals should keep in mind.
9. Gets Along Well with Humans
Kemmer Stock Mountain Curs have a reputation for getting along very well with humans. As a result, they can be a wonderful choice for people who want not just a hunting dog but also a canine companion. It is recommended that dog owners spend a lot of time with Kemmer Stock Mountain Curs, which will make for stronger bonds that will make them more trainable. Having said that, Kemmer Stock Mountain Curs are sometimes said to be demanding when it comes to dog owners’ time as well as attention.
10. Good Noses
Hounds are often divided up into sight-hounds and scent-hounds. The first are good at keeping prey animals in sight while chasing them. Meanwhile, the second are good at picking up on the trails of prey animals. Kemmer Stock Mountain Curs have plenty of speed. However, they also have good noses that enable them to pick up on the trails of their targets.
